Mushrooms have been arousing the interest of millions of people around the globe since at least 5000BC. It has attracted a lot of audiences to its theatre in return for displaying remedial show with reduced side effects. It is reported to be used as a food, medicine, poison, and in spiritual and religious rituals.
Cordyceps, along with other mushrooms, are participating zealously for the welfare of the globe. But there is a method to its madness as its growth is quite an exemplary saga.
What are Cordyceps?
Cordyceps is a parasitic fungi. Paradoxically, they are considered to be both fungi and caterpillar because they are habitual to grow from the head of moth larvae. The spores of these fungi attack the moth larvae. The larvae are intelligent enough to understand their upcoming death so they bury themselves into the soil. The sunshine of summer celebrates the growth of fungus from the head of the caterpillar in the form of a thin orange finger.
About 600 species of Cordyceps have been discovered but after an intense review, Cordyceps is broadly divided into three genera that are Ophiocordyceps, Elaphocordyceps, and Metacordyceps. (1) The perks of Cordyceps sinensis are enjoyed all around the world due to the benefits it imparts.
6 Health Benefits of Cordyceps
Here we are about to present the 6 most potent health benefits offered by Cordyceps: (2)
- Supports the immune system
- Improvement in physical performance
- Reduction in physical fatigue
- Heightens sex drive
- Kidney-protective
- Anti-aging
Cordyceps and Our Immune System
Cordyceps holds immune-supporting properties. It bolsters the immune system by activating certain areas of crucial interest. A preclinical trial claims that the hot water extract of Cordyceps activates the macrophages and intestinal immune system, and also aids in the proliferation of bone marrow cells. (3)
So when the sniffing and coughing time of the year is about to emerge, have some faith on the Cordyceps to support your immune system.
Cordyceps and Your Physical Performance
The legend of Cordyceps dates back to the early nineties when Chinese runners framed world records. They were said to be given Cordyceps to enhance their athletic health.
However, rumors are greatly exaggerated but they are more exciting than the truth.
Apart from rumors, Cordyceps surely possess the white magic of amplifying your physical performance. It improves the clearance of lactate from your muscles that in turn allows you for greater anaerobic physical performance. (4)
Can Cordyceps Fight Off Fatigue?
A clinical trial shows that Cordyceps extract powder can help alleviate physical fatigue. It augments the generation of energy in the body which brings about desirable anti-fatigue effects and breathes new life into you. (5)
Can Cordyceps Increase Your Sexual Drive?
This mushroom is also hailed as Himalayan Viagra. Cordyceps is used to rev up your sexual drive as it convincingly enhances the vigor and vitality. It has properties of an aphrodisiac and supports sex drive. (6)
Sharing is caring. So feel free to share some with a partner. After all, it takes two to tango!
Can Cordyceps Help Renal (Kidney) Function?
Your kidneys are the soul purifiers of your blood. Disturbance in their functioning may subject to several other concomitant diseases that are difficult to handle.
To surpass this nuisance, we must grab the threads of the situation before it’s too late.
Cordyceps is a promising source of increasing creatinine clearance which ultimately decreases the serum creatinine concentration. All these events prove fruitful in attenuating proteinuria and other concomitant diseases such as polycythemia (elevated hemoglobin level in blood) and hyperalbuminemia (elevated albumin level in blood). (7)
Age No More With Cordyceps
They say, ‘Age is just a number.’ Well, cordyceps, has that number because it has all the ingredients that form the perfect recipe that can reverse age-related signs and may even increase lifespan.
In preclinical trials, it was confirmed that Cordyceps sinensis improved the superoxide dismutase activity and catalase while attenuated the lipid peroxidation and monoamine oxidase activity. (8)
In other words, the antioxidant activity of Cordyceps encourages anti-aging effects.
4 Powerful and Useful Medicinal Mushrooms
Nature has bestowed its utmost grace on the mother earth by providing us with mushrooms that are a huge blessing in disguise. A few of many are genuinely good at offering a cosmic proportion of comforts.
A brief intro of the medicinal mushrooms is given below so that you know which mushroom can be hailed in a particular situation.
1) Portobello Mushroom
Portobello mushrooms are the most easily available mushrooms that are notorious for their cancer-battling and immunizing properties. They are summed up as the powerhouse of nutrients.
This mushroom surely deserves to slip in your routine and the reasons are as follows: (9)
- Lowers the risk of cancer
- Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
- Supports healthy metabolism
- The best source of vitamin B
2) Turkey Tail
Turkey tail is brimmed with anti-cancer properties. It serves as adjuvant therapy for cancer. During chemo sessions, it is prescribed to support the immune system of the patients of leukemia.
It wouldn’t harm to call Turkey tail a great cancer warrior.
3) Lion’s Mane
Lion’s mane is characterized by the appearance that depicts to that of pom-pom and on account of its appearance, it is also called pom-pom mushroom or bearded tooth mushroom. It is a traditional Chinese nootropic herb. It is usually hosted to support mental illnesses because it’s considered as brain food. From supporting the immune system to elevating mood, the benefits of this mushroom know no bounds.
A good deal of perks is associated with lion’s mane including
- Prevents Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis
- Alleviates mild symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Supports the recovery of neuronal injuries
- Aids in the management of diabetes
- Exhibits protection against gastric ulcer
- Supports the immune system
- Refines and psychomotor activities
- Protects against cancer
- Supports circulatory health
4) Reishi
Reishi has taken the world by storm due to many good reasons.
No one can make excuses for not adding it to their diet after coming across the amount of benefits it provides. This bean-shaped mushroom knows the formulae of all the problems. It helps in,
- Supporting the immune system
- Eases insomnia
- Reduces fatigue
- Manages memory loss due to insomnia
- Manages diabetesLowers the risk of attaining cardiovascular diseases
- Liver-protective
- Renal protective
- Anti-viral
- Prevents cancer
- Helps in overcoming mental disorders
If you are planning to make some space for these mushrooms in your kitchen cupboard then it gives us a great deal of satisfaction. It’s an honor to dispel all the doubts from your mind regarding our favorite mushrooms.
Note: Before slipping these mushrooms to your routine, make sure to consult it with your good doctor and get checked for the allergies.
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